A big night out in Downtown Los Angeles →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in Los Angeles
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
199 spots · Jump to the list
For the anniversary, the birthday, the proposal. Every restaurant here sits at the top of the price range and treats dinner as the whole event. Book well ahead, mention what you're celebrating when you do, and plan for a longer meal than usual.
This guide ranks 199 special-occasion restaurants in Los Angeles, from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica and Torrance. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A big night out in Silver Lake / Echo Park →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.8 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 199.
RestaurantKusano
5.0(20)Culver City · $$$$
RestaurantCasa Ipanema
5.0(15)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$$
RestaurantHenrietta
5.0(11)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$$
BarCorridor 109
4.9(23)Santa Monica · $$$$
RestaurantSushi Sonagi
4.9(16)Torrance · $$$$
RestaurantAndre’s
4.9(11)Koreatown / Mid-City · $$$
RestaurantScarlett
4.7(25)Beverly Hills · $$$$
Restaurant555 East Steakhouse
4.7(21)Long Beach · $$$$
RestaurantVin Folk
4.7(21)Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$$$
RestaurantSeline
4.7(19)Venice · $$$$
RestaurantTar & Roses
4.7(11)Santa Monica · $$$$
RestaurantDeluxe 1717
4.7(9)Pasadena · $$$
RestaurantMUSE Santa Monica
4.7(9)Santa Monica · $$$$
Italian RestaurantOsteria Vera
4.7(7)West LA / Brentwood · $$$$
RestaurantDAMA Fashion District Restaurant & Bar
4.7(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
SteakhouseThe Arthur J
4.6(26)Manhattan Beach / El Segundo · $$$$
RestaurantArroyo Chophouse
4.6(26)Pasadena · $$$
Japanese RestaurantSushi Sasabune
4.6(25)West LA / Brentwood · $$$$
RestaurantGaetano’s Restaurant
4.6(25)Torrance · $$$
RestaurantKatana
4.6(22)West Hollywood · $$$
RestaurantL'Opera
4.6(22)Long Beach · $$$
RestaurantSushi Inaba
4.6(19)Torrance · $$$$
Argentinian RestaurantCarlitos Gardel
4.6(16)West Hollywood · $$$$
RestaurantBaby Bistro
4.6(14)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Kusano in Culver City, rated 5.0 out of 5. Casa Ipanema and Henrietta round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Downtown Los Angeles (3), Santa Monica (3) and Torrance (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Kusano, Corridor 109 and Sushi Sonagi.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a big night out: drinks first, then the big dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.